Russian freighter sinks, 11 of 18 crew rescued

Reported here:

- A total of 11 sailors have now been found alive from the 18-man crew of a Russian cargo ship that sunk in the West Pacific two days ago, after rescuers found another six on Wednesday, Russian officials in Vladivostok said.
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The vessel, which was transporting timber, sunk within one hour when a sudden heavy storm broke out, causing the vessel to lurch violently. Most of the timber broke through the holds, damaging hatches and equipment, and water began to flow into the ship, one of the survivors, speaking from a South Korean hospital, said.

When the ship heeled to an angle of about 20 degrees, the captain ordered the crew to leave the vessel. However, only one of the two rescue boats was operational, the other being trapped under a collapsed mast.